By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, May 3, 2015
Roger Federer converted his fifth match point to top Pablo Cuevas, 6-3, 7-6 (11), and capture his 85th career title at the inaugural Istanbul Open.
Photo credit: TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open.
Blinking as if trying to free his eyes of dust—or clear the craziness of a jittery tie break from his mind—Roger Federer had already seen four match points dissipate. He kept his eyes locked on the ball to finally find the finish line.
Darting forward, Federer dislodged bits of red clay flicking a challenging low backhand volley into the corner. The shot handcuffed a back-pedaling Pablo Cuevas giving Federer a fifth championship point.
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Dancing around his backhand, Federer ended a 15-shot rally buzzing a forehand down the line subduing a stubborn Cuevas, 6-3, 7-6 (11) and capturing his 85th career title at the inaugural Istanbul Open.
It is Federer's third title this season and his first clay-court title since he defeated Tomas Berdych in the 2012 Madrid Open final.
Closure was complicated as both men battled nerves in the tie break.
Holding two championship points at 6-4 lead in the breaker, Federer hit successive errors to squander both. Cuevas double-faulted to hand him a third championship point, but Federer scattered a slice backhand approach wide to lose it.
Fighting off three set points, including blasting a backhand return winner down the line from the doubles alley on one, Federer finally cracked that forehand to wrap up a dramatic win in 96 minutes.
"It's been a long time since I won a tournament on clay," Federer told the fans in his on-court interview. "The tie break was crazy. I felt so unlucky, then I was lucky, then unlucky and lucky again."
Contesting his fourth final in six tournaments this season, Federer charged to a 3-0 start against a tight Cuevas in the first meeting between the pair.
The 33-year-old Swiss was forced to play catch-up in his 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 semifinal win over Diego Schwartzman. In that match, the eighth-seeded Argentine had success hitting his two-handed backhand down the line to wrong-foot Federer. The top seed was much sharper at the outset today and Cuevas is not nearly as proficient hitting his one-handed backhand down the line as Schwartzman is off the two-hander. Federer used the heavy inside-out forehand to pin Cuevas in his backhand corner then fired his forehand down the line.
Thumping his third ace down the middle, Federer worked through a challenging fifth game holding for 4-1.
Pushed to deuce on serve just once in the opening set, Federer served 68 percent and won 18 of 22 points played on first serve cruising through the 33-minute opener.
After holding for 2-1, Cuevas took a medical time-out for treatment to his right forearm. His right sleeve rolled up to his shoulder, Cuevas groaned at times and leaned back in his seat like a man recoiling while giving blood as the trainer kneaded deep massage to his arm. Federer stretched his legs and bounced up and down behind the baseline ready to resume play.
A return to clay has brought out Federer's front-court creativity. A magnificent backhand half-volley fluttered over net, dying in the dirt as the top seed held for 2-all.
Chipping a short return luring his opponent forward, Federer followed an inside-out forehand to net then blocked a forehand volley crosscourt, breaking at love for a 4-3 advantage.
Successive Federer forehand errors gave back the break.
Resetting, Federer hit a fine backhand drop shot winner and brushed a forehand up the line for triple break point in the ninth game. Cuevas fought off all three break points, whipping a forehand crosscourt grinding out a hold for 5-4.
The world No. 2 threw down a love hold to force the tie break.
At 4-4 in the breaker, Cuevas caught up to a short ball, but ballooned a forehand loong to give Federer the mini break. Sliding a serve winner down the middle, Federer had two championship points at 6-4, but sailed a forehand on the first and netted a backhand drop shot on the second.
That set the stage for the wild ending with both men serving-and-volleying at times. Federer converted just two of nine break points in the match. But produced a pair of brilliant backhands — the return down the line for a mini break and 10-all and that slick low backhand volley for a fifth championship point—to withstand a wild tie break and dig out the win.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion won't have much time to enjoy this title; he is the top seed in Madrid and will face either Estoril finalist Nick Kyrgios or Spanish qualifier Daniel Gimeno-Traver, who pushed Federer to three sets in the Istanbul quarterfinals.